Transportable module for processing industrial gas odours and / or emissions

Abstract

A transportable module for use in the filtering of gases, said module including a housing and, located in a cavity therein, one or more filter media beds or layers, an initial filter assembly and / or fan assembly and wherein the initial filter assembly, filter media beds and / or fan assembly are located in the housing under factory conditions prior to transport to the position for use and connection to the gas emissions from the premises. The filter media typically includes activated carbon and the module, in on embodiment is provided in the form of a shipping container so as to be transportable using conventional transport systems such as vehicles or ships, to be to an on site position for use in a partially or wholly assembled condition.

Description

[0001] Transportable Module for processing industrial gas odours and / or emissions

[0002] The invention to which this application relates is to an apparatus and a method for allowing the processing of emissions, typically from commercial or research facilities, which may include odours and / or potentially harmful materials and / or environmentally unfriendly materials.

[0003] The problem of emissions from commercial facilities is well known and is typically required to be controlled in accordance with regulatory requirements at the particular geographical location and is enforced by inspections by environmental control officers.

[0004] Thus, the operators of the premises are required to install appropriate apparatus to process the emissions from the premises prior to the emission of the same into the surrounding environment. In one form the apparatus comprises a series of processing steps interconnected by ductwork and along which the emitted gases pass. The apparatus can therefore be relatively complex and can include the provision of a primary filtering apparatus which is connected to a separation means such as activated carbon and, in turn, one or more fan units which draw the emitted gases through the activated carbon.

[0005] The purpose of the filter stage is to allow dust and debris carried by the gas from the premises to be extracted as the initial or primary processing stage and the activated carbon is provided to remove certain elements and odours from the gas.

[0006] Conventionally, the apparatus is designed and installed and subsequently operated as a bespoke installation at the particular site of use and the installation requires significant labour and time and indeed metalwork in order to form the required ducting between the processing stages of the apparatus. As a result the installation of the apparatus is expensive, typically requires a significant area of land to be available externally of the premises in order to accommodate the installed apparatus and, as the dimensions of the available area are typically different at each installation location, the apparatus installed typically has to be connected in a different manner and / or orientations at different locations so that no-one installation is the same and this makes the installation process problematic and more expensive.

[0007] It is also known to be required to remove the activated carbon after a period of use and replace the same with a new load of carbon so as to ensure that the apparatus operates within the required parameters. Typically, this process of removing the spent and replacing with new activated carbon can take a day or so and, during this time, it is necessary for the apparatus to be shut down and, most typically, for the premises operation to also be shut down This is expensive and can put pressure on the operators of the emissions control apparatus to perform the changeover as quickly as possible and / or possibly to delay the changeover which can mean that the apparatus is not operated at its optimal performance levels. It is known to provide the activated carbon as a cartridge which can be installed in position once a previous cartridge of spent carbon has been removed but this still requires significant down time and the ability for access to the site of relatively large transport and lifting apparatus at intervals in order to allow the delivery and movement of the cartridge and so the process may not be possible to achieve where space is tight and / or access is limited.

[0008] An aim of the present invention is to provide the apparatus for the control and processing of the emissions to be provided in a modular form so as to allow the apparatus to be installed on site, but with the majority and preferably substantially all of the installation having been performed under factory conditions. This therefore allows the formed module to then be moved from the factory location to the location of use and be connected to the outlet for the gases from the premises which are to be treated.

[0009] A further aim of the invention is to allow the maintenance and / or replacement of parts of the apparatus to be performed in an effective and efficient manner whilst, at the same time, allowing the operation of the apparatus to be continued throughout the maintenance and / or replacement process to thereby provide an ongoing emission control facility and thereby avoid the need for the apparatus and / or premises emitting the gases to be shut down.

[0010] In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a transportable module for use in the processing of gas emissions from a premises, said module include a housing with a cavity in which there is located at least one filter media bed or layer and one, or both, of an initial filter assembly upstream of said filter media bed and / or a fan assembly downstream of said filter media bed.

[0011] Typically the module is transportable insomuch as it is formed as a module at a first location and then transported to a position for installation and use. In one embodiment the module may then be transportable subsequent to its installation at the said position for use.

[0012] Typically, the initial filter assembly is connected to an inlet of the housing when located within the housing and the fan unit is connected to the outlet from the filter media bed and an outlet from the housing, such that the processed gas exits the cavity to the external environment. Typically the gas from the premises passes through the initial filter step, the filter media bed and the subsequent fan assembly while within the cavity of the housing.

[0013] In one embodiment the filter media is activated carbon which is a form of carbon used to filter contaminants and has small, low- volume pores that increase the surface area available for adsorption or chemical reactions. Reference is hereonin made to carbon as the filter media but in a non-limiting manner.

[0014] In one embodiment, the housing is provided in the form of a shipping container, also known as an intermodal container or ISO container, into which at least one gas inlet and at least gas outlet has been formed. Typically the said inlet and outlet are formed in opposing walls of the housing.

[0015] In one embodiment, a plurality of filter media beds or layers are provided overlying each other so as to allow the progressive passage of the gases through the same and removal of components from the gas and captured by the carbon. Typically the beds are provided in a parallel configuration.

[0016] In one embodiment, when the module is in position for use, the filter media beds or layers are provided so as to lie parallel with the side walls or end walls of the housing and / or typically in a substantially vertical plane in which case the gas to be treated is blown into the filter media beds or layers from one side. In an alternative embodiment the one or more filter media beds or layers are located to be substantially parallel with the base or the housing and / or lie in a substantially horizontal plane. In this embodiment the gas to be processed may typically be blown from the base or a side or end wall of the housing and directed to pass upwardly through the filter media and the treated gas is emitted from the upper side of the uppermost filter media beds or layers. In one embodiment, the one or more filter media beds or layers are provided to lie in along a horizontal plane, one above the other to selected depth. In one embodiment the base layer is located on a base which may, in one embodiment, is formed of a series of panels which are supported at a spaced distance from the base of the housing by support legs. Preferably, the said base panels and / or support legs are formed of a recycled plastics material and may be provided to be adjustable so as to ensure that the panels and hence the filter media beds or layers is located in a substantially horizontal plane and the position takes into account any variation in the base of the housing cavity and / or surface onto which the module is placed for use.

[0017] In one embodiment the materials used to form at least one of the layers is selected with respect to the type and / or components of the gas which is to be introduced to the same and / or specific components which are to be removed from the gas as it passes through the layers. Thus, the apparatus can be designed for a bespoke purpose at a specific site but can be constructed accordingly under factory conditions for transport and installation at the particular site of use. Furthermore, the layers can be subsequently adjusted on site, so that, for example, if the type of gas with which the apparatus is to be used changes over time, the type of materials and / or the layers can be adjusted accordingly so as to provide the most efficient gas processing capability.

[0018] Typically, the module, once provided in the location of use, is intended to be retained in that location for the life of use of the apparatus and any maintenance and / or replacement of the carbon material is performed on site. The provision of the apparatus within the module allows the apparatus to be constructed under factory conditions and therefore avoids any irregularities, time constraints or downtime of the apparatus within the premises for any significant time during installation on site. Furthermore the ability to connect and produce the filter apparatus within the container housing under factory conditions means that the installation of the apparatus can be better controlled in comparison to being installed and connected on site, allows the installation to be performed more quickly and allows the apparatus to be installed in a uniform manner without the particular location or dimensions of the location at which the apparatus is to be used having any impact on the design.

[0019] Typically the apparatus is constructed under factory conditions prior to transport to the site of use. Preferably at least some of the commissioning and testing of the operation and / or performance of the apparatus is also performed at the factory construction location and under factory conditions. This therefore reduces the time required for installation of the apparatus at the site of use, and / or reduces apparatus transport and / or personnel travel costs, thus reducing the carbon footprint and environmental impact of the same. Furthermore the testing under factory conditions allows more accurate testing and commissioning work to be formed than would be possible on site.

[0020] Furthermore, the apparatus can be transported as a whole and using conventional transport apparatus to the location of use and connected to the outlet from the premises and connected to a power supply for operation of the apparatus within the housing cavity.

[0021] Should it be necessary for auxiliary equipment to be provided and / or one of the fan units or filter assembly to be positioned externally of the housing then the same can be connected to the external wall of the housing as appropriate on site. In one embodiment, a plurality of said modules are located, typically in a parallel relationship and each connected to the outlet from the premises and each having an outlet from the housings therein which may be connected via respective manifolds.

[0022] The provision of a plurality of modules allows the capacity of the apparatus to be provided to meet requirements at the time of installation and subsequently to alter the capacity at a later stage by adding or removing one or more modules, with minimal impact on the operation of the existing apparatus.

[0023] In another embodiment, the module may be provided with a plurality of processing paths, typically provided side by side within the housing cavity, each processing path having respective one or more filter media beds or layers and each having one or more initial filter means and / or fan assemblies for movement of gas therethrough.

[0024] In either embodiment, typically the introduction of the gas to be treated into the respective modules or processing paths can be controlled by a selective operation of valves at the inlet or inlets for the gas from the premises to open or close the same and valves can also be provided with respect to the outlets from the one or more modules and / or processing paths.

[0025] This allows, for example, for the purpose of maintenance, breakdown or the like, for certain parts of the apparatus to be isolated for maintenance and / or repair whilst, at the same time, ensuring that another processing path or module is still available for use in processing the gases emitted from the premises. This therefore prevents the need for the apparatus and the processing facility to be completely shut down. In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of providing a module for use in the processing of gas emissions from a premises, said method including the steps of forming, under factory conditions, a module include a housing with a cavity for the location therein of at least one filter media bed or layer and fitting in said housing one, or both, of an initial filter assembly upstream of said filter media bed and / or a fan assembly downstream of said filter media bed and thereafter transporting said module to a position for use and connecting the module to a supply of gas from said premises.

[0026] In one embodiment the at least one filter media bed or layer is provided in the housing under factory conditions.

[0027] In one embodiment the fan assembly is connected to an emission system when the module is in position for use.

[0028] In one embodiment the method includes the step of at least partially commissioning and / or testing the module under factory conditions.

[0029] Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings; wherein

[0030] Figures la-e illustrates views of modules formed in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0031] Figures 2a and b illustrate one embodiment of a module in accordance with the invention with dual processing paths;

[0032] Figures 3a-f illustrate an initial filter assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figures 4a-e illustrate one embodiment of the filter media bed or layer assembly;

[0033] Figures 5a-f illustrate another embodiment of a module in accordance with the invention and the inlet and outlet structures of the module;

[0034] Figures 6a and b illustrate schematically possible further configurations of the apparatus in accordance with the invention; and

[0035] Figures 7a-c illustrate a further embodiment of the invention.

[0036] Referring firstly to Figures la-e there are illustrated different embodiments of apparatus in accordance with the invention.

[0037] In each embodiment there is provided a module 2 which has an external housing 4 formed of base and top walls, end walls and side walls to form an enclosed cavity. At or adjacent to one end of the housing there is provided an inlet 6 and at the opposing end an outlet 8 so as to allow the gases which are to be treated to be passed from the interior of the premises 10 via ductwork and inlet 6 into the cavity within the housing. The processed gas can then leave the housing cavity via the outlet 8 to the external environment or to further processing means. As illustrated, the housing is preferably formed from a shipping container. In Figures la, lb, l e the module has a gas processing path therethrough whilst, in Figures 1 c and d the module cavity includes two side by side gas processing paths. It should also be appreciated that multiple modules can be installed at the same location to provide as many gas processing paths as required and typically the same will operate in parallel.

[0038] Figures 2a and b illustrate a processing path of the module 2 and which shows the interior cavity 12 of the same to illustrate the components. Figure 2a illustrates a plan view of the housing and Figure 2b shows a perspective side view of the housing. The cavity includes an inlet 6 which leads to a primary or initial filter assembly 14 leading to the filter media beds or layers assembly 16 and in turn to the extraction assembly 18 so that the gas to be processed flows, in this embodiment in the direction of arrow 20 through the cavity. As is shown in the cavity there are formed a number of supporting structures including the frame 22 which supports the filter sheet material 24 through which the gas passes and into the activated carbon beds which are supported in position via the support framework 26. Access to allow for the maintenance of the apparatus with the cavity 12 and the replacement of the activated carbon, can be performed via access ports 28 which are normally closed. Safety rails 30 can also be installed so as to allow for the safe movement of personnel on the roof 32 of the module.

[0039] Figures 3a-f illustrate the initial filter assembly 14 in more detail and show the support frame 22 and filter sheet material or bag 24 in greater detail. It is also shown in Figures 3d-f that the filter sheet material can be provided in a number of different configurations to suit the particular use of the module and the particular configuration can be selected and formed under factory conditions. Support bracing 34 can also be provided to maintain the integrity of the structure and portions 36 of the structure can be solid so as to aid in the directing of the flow of the gas through the initial filter assembly. It should also be appreciated that in certain embodiments the inlet 6 may be positioned in the roof 32 of the module rather than the end 38.

[0040] Figures 4a-e illustrate the structure 40 provided in the cavity in order to provide support for the filter media beds or layers 42 which are arranged in a vertical plane in this embodiment and pass along the portion 16 of the cavity. The filter media beds are provided such that the gas from the inlet and initial filter assembly 14 passes along the paths 20A and 20B and then progressively passes through the respective carbon filter beds 42A and 42B as indicated by arrows 44 and then moves along the central channel 46 in the direction of arrows 20 towards the outlet 8. As the gas passes through the filters 42A and 42B the problematic components of the gas are trapped and removed and hence the gas which reaches the outlet 8 is in a condition which is allowable to be emitted into the external environment. It should be appreciated that further structural elements can be provided as required to maintain the housing walls, and the module as a whole, in the required form.

[0041] At several locations, solid portions 50 may be provided in order to encourage air flow in the required direction through the cavity and through the carbon filter beds and typically the carbon beds will be sealed at the top and bottom and side walls of the cavity as illustrated in Figure 4b which shows the interface between the support structure and the roof 32 of the cavity. The framework 52 supports, as shown in Figure 4e, a series of infill or solid portions 50 and perforated, typically mesh, walls 54 which allow the passage of the gas therethrough to pass into the filter media beds or layers which typically contain activated carbon.

[0042] Figures 5a-f and Figures 7a-b illustrate further embodiments of the invention in which the filter layers 42 are provided in a horizontal plane. In this case the inlet 6 and outlet 8 are located at the respective opposing end walls of the housing 4 and the filters of, typically carbon containing, layers 42 are provided in a horizontal plane so that the gas passes from the inlet in the direction of arrows 56 towards fan unit 58 at the opening 8 from the housing and which then pass the gas to the external environment. In Figures 5a-f access doors 28 are provided in the roof 32 to allow access to the filter media beds or layers for removal and / or replenishment of the same but, as shown in Figure 7c, an alternative arrangement is shown in which the access doors or hatches 28 are provided in the side walls of the modules instead of or as well as the roof..

[0043] Figures 6a and b illustrate further potential configurations of the apparatus in accordance with the invention. In Figure 6a there is illustrated one module 2 which is provided with two side by side processing paths 60, 62, each with its own initial filter assembly 14, carbon filter bed assembly 16 and outlet assembly 18 and the gas processing paths 60,62 are sealed off and separated by partition wall 64. Typically, both of the processing paths will be operated simultaneously, thereby providing operation of the module at 100% capacity. However, should there be a required maintenance or breakdown of one of the processing paths, then the other of the processing paths can still continue to be operational and, although the capacity of the module will be reduced, this means that the apparatus within the premises can still be operational and this avoids the need for a complete shutdown of the plant at the premises as a result of scheduled maintenance or apparatus breakdown.

[0044] Figure 6b illustrates another configuration of the apparatus in which there is provided a plurality of modules 2. In this example, three modules are provided to be operated in parallel and independently with the gas to be treated entering the respective modules via the respective outlet 6 and leaving the same via respective outlet 8. This configuration allows the capacity of the apparatus to be selected at the time of installation and, furthermore, to be subsequently altered by the addition or removal of one or more modules 2 to thereby adapt the capacity and the operation of the premises at that time. Furthermore, modules may be provided to allow for the processing of different gases from the premises and to be formed so as to best suit the operating characteristics of the gas being supplied thereto.

[0045] It will also be appreciated that by placing fan units for the inlet and / or outlets within the cavity then significant acoustic advantages can be achieved in that the noise created by the operation of the fan units is masked from the external environment.

[0046] As shown in Figures 7a-c, the filter media bed is formed by multi layers as often, in waste applications, there may be many different materials and chemicals which form the gas introduced through the inlet 6 into the housing 4 and one or a number of the chemical materials may be provided at a particularly high level and / or are more problematic than other materials in the gas.

[0047] The make up of the material used to form the respective filter layers 42 may therefore be altered accordingly to more specially be formed to be able to deal with and at least partially remove the particular chemicals which are known to be present in the gas which is to be passed through the same. In Figure 7a there is illustrated a first or base layer or bed of carbon material 42 on base 43 which is formed to deal with a wide variety of chemicals which are known to be present in the gas and, in addition, a further layer 42’ is provided which is composed of materials which are selected so as to target and effectively process particularly high levels of a chemical component or components which are known to be present in the gas and thereby provide a more effective filtering performance. In Figure 7b there is again illustrated two layers 42, 42’ which include different filtering components respectively. It is also illustrated how the capacity of the interior of the housing allows one or both layers to be formed of a greater depth if required to improve the filtering effect. For example, the layer 42’ in Figure 7b is twice the depth of the filter layer 42’ in Figure 7a and therefore provide improved filter efficiency. Thus, the invention allows the creation of a multistage filter system through the provision of selected layers 42 of carbon media and this ability is further enhanced by the use of the containerised module system as the cavity therein has the space and additional system capacity to accommodate additional layers. For example, the height of the carbon layer 42 is typically only 700mm of media for a conventional waste application. However for a high emission application, additional, even double depth amounts of the filter media can be included as one or more additional layers without the requirement for any additional space or system cost.

[0048] Furthermore the layering of the carbon allows the improved usage of all of the carbon for the filtering purpose. Conventionally the filter media would simply be provided in a non-layered manner which tends to lead to the filter beds being not fully spent in areas, therefore resulting in the disposal of filter media which is only part used. The provision of a series of layers 42 allows for improved or full filter layer usage efficiency and as activated carbon is shipped around the world and is an expensive and high energy process to produce, the ability to increase the life of the carbon is a key environmental benefit.

[0049] As shown in Figure 7c, the vertical stacking of the modules 4 is possible and in this case the access doors or hatches 28 are located on the side walls, preferably near the top side of the same, rather than on the roof of the modules 4. This allows for stacking of modules vertically, as indicated in Figure 7c to allow increase in the filtering capacity without requiring additional floor area on site.

[0050] As already stated, the apparatus is capable of being off-site manufactured and at least partially commissioned under factory conditions. The off-site commissioning allows the operation of the fan systems within the module and allows the apparatus to be installed on-site with a significant amount of commissioning and pre-testing having already been performed. For example, the offsite manufacture and containerised assembly of the dust filters, filter media beds or layers and fan assembly allows leak testing to be performed under factory conditions which conventionally would have to be done on site. As a result, installation on site can be completed typically in 1 -2 weeks by 2 engineers compared to installation of the conventional apparatus on site which will typically take 4-5 weeks with 3 engineers. This results in reduced labour requirements and travel costs, thus reducing the environmental impact of the invention and the carbon footprint of travelling engineers is significantly reduced, and, if the site of use is overseas, this is even more significant.

[0051] In order to take into account unevenness in the surface onto which the housing is placed for use the container may be provided with adjustable feet such that the same can be adjusted at the time of installation to ensure that the base of the housing is substantially horizontal. Preferably the module is transported as a substantially completed and installed unit to the location of use, thereby minimising work which is required to be performed at the installation at the site of use.

Claims

CLAIMS1.A transportable module for use in the processing of gas emissions from a premises, said module include a housing with a cavity in which there is located at least one filter media bed or layer and one, or both, of an initial filter assembly upstream of said filter media bed and / or a fan assembly downstream of said filter media bed.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein, when provided, the initial filter assembly is connected to an inlet leading from the source of said gas emissions to the filter media bed and the fan unit is connected to an outlet from the filter media bed to the environment external of the module such that processed gas exits the cavity to the external environment.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the said gas emissions are from said premises and pass through the initial filter assembly, the filter media bed and fan assembly while within the cavity of the housing.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the filter media includes activated carbon particles.5 Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the activated carbon particles have pores so as to increase the surface area available for absorption and / or chemical reaction of said gas.

6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein the module housing is provided in the form of a shipping container, also known as an intermodal container or ISO container, with at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet formed in walls thereof.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the said at least one gas inlet and the at least one gas outlet are formed in opposing walls of the housing.

8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein a plurality of filter media beds or layers are provided to allow the progressive passage of said gas through the same to process the gas and remove components from the gas which are captured in the filter media.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the said filter media beds or layers are provided in a substantially parallel configuration.

10. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein when the module is in a position for use, the at least one filter media bed or layer lies in a plane substantially parallel with the side or end walls of the housing.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein when the apparatus is in said position for use the said one or more filter beds or layers lies in a substantially vertical plane.

12. Apparatus according to any of claims 1-9 wherein when the module is in a position for use, the at least one filter media bed or layer lies in a plane substantially parallel with the base of the housing.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein when the apparatus is in said position for use the at least one filter media bed or layer lies in a substantially horizontal plane.

14. Apparatus according to claims 12 or 13 wherein the processed gas is drawn from the side of the at least one filter media bed or layer which opposes the side towards which the gas is blown.

15. Apparatus according to any of claims 12-14 wherein the said at least one filter media bed is located on a base comprising a series of panels which are supported at a spaced distance from the base of the housing by support legs and through which base the gas to be processed can pass into the said at least one filter media bed or layer.16 Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the said base panels and / or support legs are formed of a recycled plastics material and adjustable so as to ensure that the panels and at least one filter media bed or layer are located in said substantially horizontal plane.17 Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein at least two filter media beds or layers are provided and the materials included and / or proportions and / or form of materials included in a first of the beds or layers differs to those contained in a second of the beds or layers.18 Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the respective depths of said first and second beds or layers are different.

19. Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the apparatus is initially constructed and / or at least partially tested and commissioned under factory conditions and then moved to the position for use for connection to the gas supply from the premises which is to be processed and / or connection to an emission system.

20. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of said modules mutually located in a parallel processing configuration.

21. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein one or more modules are provided so as to provide a plurality of gas processing paths, each gas processing path passing gas to respective one or more filter media beds and each having or connected to at least one initial filter assembly and / or fan assemblies for movement of the gas along the said gas processing path.

22. Apparatus according to claims 20 or 21 wherein the introduction of the gas to be treated into the modules or processing paths is controlled by valves located at the inlet or inlets for the gas from the said premises.

23. Apparatus according to claim 22 wherein valves are provided to enable control of the movement of the gas to the outlets from the one or more modules or processing paths.

24. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein the said at least one filter media be or layer is provided and located within the housing prior to transport of the module to the position of use.

25. Apparatus according to any of the claims 1 -23 wherein the said at least one filter media bed or layer is provided and located within the housing once the module has been transported to the position of use.

26. A method of forming a module for use in the processing of gas emissions from a premises, said method including the steps of forming, under factory conditions, a module include a housingwith a cavity for the location therein of at least one filter media bed or layer and fitting in said housing one, or both, of an initial filter assembly upstream of said filter media bed and / or a fan assembly downstream of said filter media bed and thereafter transporting said module to a position for use and connecting the module to a supply of gas from said premises.27 A method according to claim 26 wherein the at least one filter media bed or layer is provided in the housing under factory conditions.

28. A method according to claims 26-27 wherein the fan assembly is connected to an emission system when the module is in position for use.

29. A method according to any of claims 26-28 wherein the method includes the step of at least partially commissioning and / or testing the module under factory conditions.

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